Off-Road Sequence

I've only used 4H, 4L and 4L + locker.

Can I use Multi-terrain + rear locker? I know that ATRAC + rear locker works, wasn't sure about MTS (which, I'm wrapping my head around is adjustable ATRAC).

I'm not used to having ATRAC, Crawl Control or MTS, so, this is really helpful.

 

Yes, you can, hence, Multi-Terrain Select will change the sensitivity of A-TRAC throttle response.

 

This is a lot to ponder! All of my 4-wheeling of yesteryear was 4Hi or 4Lo. In the 70's and 80's actually locking the front hubs was always a cool thing to do!

 

I was watching some austrailian dude explaining the advantages of keeping 4wd engaged whenever you are traveling on loose surfaces. One good point he brought up was the extra control you have if you encounter sudden washboard at speed and start losing directional control. If you have 4wd engaged, you can “give er trottle” and have the front pull you back on the road or your intended direction.

Having personally experienced what washboard does to directional control on our last excursion, convinced me it was a good idea to keep it engaged on gravel roads if traveling at any substantial speeds.

 

I watched that same video.

4xoverland with Andrew White?

He's an acquired taste, but he's got decades of experience. I trust his experience.

On a side note, he doesn't like big fat tires. He's probably shaking his head watching us Americans try to fit the biggest tires we can on our vehicles.

 

For the most part, that's all you're going to need. Being old-school you probably won't like MTS as it limits your throttle input. And Crawl is more of an aid if you get stuck.

I use 4hi or 4lo depending on terrain. From there I'll add A-trac and then the locker. With good tires, this will get you pretty much anywhere.

I also usually turn traction control completely off while I'm on trails.

 

Reminds me of the July trip, when I nearly went in the trees on Twin Pine Road.

 

I also watched that video. Made sense to me as well.
I'm usually worried about being late and will fly down gravel roads in 2wd to our trail ride meeting place. Watched that video and thought hmm - maybe I should slow down a bit and use 4wd high.

I think this is it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOweeVYkyps

 

Same here! Automatic hubs were like the 8th wonder.

 

Am I crazy? I still prefer manual locking hubs.

 

I dunno, I know people that swear they are more durable, but as someone that's had mainly Jeeps, I've had an axle break long before a hub.

 

I like cookies

 

Yes, might help, on wash-board a lot depends on what type of shocks you are using. If you are traveling on loose surfaces and don't know the area it's always a good idea to air down, in 4WD engaged you are not going to drive faster than 50 Mph anyway, so won't harm your tires.

 

Yes. Yes, you are.

But, if it has something to do with concerns about reliability, I understand.

I wonder if earlier automatic hubs were problematic. Or, maybe it varies by brand. I've never had a failure, or even heard of one.

 

You can use the rear locker at any time (as long as the truck is in 4-low), including in combination with ATRAC, MTS, or Crawl Control.

As I mentioned above, ATRAC acts as an artificial locker for the open diff by utilizing the wheel speed sensors and braking system. Whenever it senses a wheel spinning (passenger's side front, as an example in the video below), it cycles the brakes via the ABS system and sends power to the opposite side of the truck (driver's side front). But ATRAC is only an "ON/OFF" system. There is no adjustability for the amount of slippage, based on terrain, before the ATRAC engages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50HzDfO0134&t=1s

Multi-Terrain Select addresses this. It adds the ability to adjust the amount of slippage before the truck will intervene and cycle the ABS. And it adds throttle control.

A great example of when to engage Multi-Terrain Select is on an incline with loose soil/dirt/gravel/sand/snow. In this scenario you need to maintain some momentum, so the truck can continue to climb. So some tire slippage is desirable. And you want throttle to be consistent and remain engaged. If we were simply in ATRAC during such a scenario, the truck would be constantly cycling the ABS and killing our momentum. But if we engage Multi-Terrain Select in the Mud/Sand or Loose Rock setting, the truck will be less invasive with the ABS, and more consistent with the throttle, to try to keep all the tires spinning to maintain momentum. This is also why you are able to engage the Mud/Sand setting in 4-high.

An excellent video was released by Toyota for the Land Cruiser Prado 150, but the systems operate the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szIm_J9VrrE

 

And here is the same Toyota video series explaining Crawl Control:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0msPb7vVv4A

I also treat Crawl Control and the Rear Locker the same - to be utilized to conquer a specific obstacle or section of trail, but not on all the time.

 

This is an excellent video explaining how the system works; nevertheless, these off-road "trails" are made to show how the system works ' that's all. Real world situations are totally different even on trails that are easy you might encounter bigger rocks, wet weather, slick-rock, clay, incline, decline where you have not counted on.

Like this little spot on Hells Revenge with the orange 4R which is really not a difficult trail, you can easily drive up that spot in 4L, not the way it has been shown in the video, when you climb rock-ledges, It's like a human walking stairs one leg first than the next, you don't hop on stairs, the same with an off-road vehicle. With a stock 4R you will damage your vehicle on Hells Revenge, no matter how good a driver you are and which features you have to accommodate you.

The best driver in my opinion with a 4R I have seen on YouTube is Erin Rose. No nonsense, just knowledge. (41) erin rose off-road - YouTube

 

Yessir, I agree. But I think a lot of people struggle with understanding all of the off-road gizmos and how they work. And Toyota does not do a good job explaining them.

So it makes sense to illustrate what each feature does and how it works in a controlled environment. And how they work (or don’t work) together. That way, when a user gets into an off-road situation, they understand what tools are in their toolbox, how they work, and how to implement them.

 

Sure, I totally agree with you, the only problem I have with these videos they don't tell you the limitations of the vehicle in a whole, what about ground clearance and many other factors that come into play, they make it look like you can drive up the K2.

A lot of people these days are interested in Off-Roading, now more than ever with the overlanding craze' thinking, this is it, the ultimate crawl machine as shown; without experience people get injured or damage their 4R's.

This reminds me on a neighbor which talked to me how much she wanted to buy a BMW, some time ago she came to me and said, Roland, I finally purchased my BMW; I said awesome, and asked her, which one did you buy; she answered "A blue one".

 

Haha, perfect lol.

I really liked these videos, and it helped me finally wrap my head around what multimode does in relation to Atrac. Plus Im totally geeked out my 4runner is actually a Land Cruiser in disguise.

And, yes, now that I saw the video, i do kinda feel like I can do the rubicon while eating a sandwich lol.

Thankfully, for people that are easily led, there are plenty of youtube fail videos that should prime the imagination all the possible ways to get wrecked or killed while doing the 4x4 thing.

 

True, they are good videos in explaining how modes work.

I have always been amazed how much money is splurged on suspension lifts, tires, and all kinds of overland equipment. Moab, UT, and surroundings have excellent Off-Road instructors giving you classes while showing and riding trails with you (Moab Brewery) advertise them.

I have talked to people new to this sport or hobby and told them that the best $300 spent is taking a class with one of these professionals; they look at me like cow at a train-wreck.

 

Yup. Landcruiser Prado/Hilux Surf/GX/4Runner. It's a badass platform! It's funny when some guys on the Tacoma forum act like the 4Runner is some sort of soccer mom SUV.

True! I don't think it's entirely Toyota's responsibility to explain the limitations of the 4Runner in their promotional videos. Unfortunately there's always going to be a few folks who think 4wd and BOF make it invincible and fuck things up. I'll just try to avoid trail runs with those types.

Definitely! All of the equipment in the world doesn't matter if you don't know what you're doing.

 

Lol. I gotta remember this line. My friend, you are a poet.

 

Tacoma guys…cant live with em, cant camp without em

I think youtube 4x4 fail videos should be required to watch when you’re starting off. It actually is pretty surprising how quickly things can get out of hand with one or two bad decisions. One or two compilation vids should be enough to sober anyone up lol

 

If I would have video's from all the accidents I have seen off-road and upload them on YouTube, people would still say, If I had lockers in the front it wouldn't have happen.

It's because I translate expressions from my native language, haha; a poet, lol.

 

It's only a few guys on the whole forum as far as I can tell. There's just been an occasional dumbass remark. No different than the occasional D-bag PRO guy we see around here.

I'll have to check out some more of those videos. Just to make sure I'm not doing things to wind up in one.

 

Alright, the curiosity is too strong to resist. Mind if I ask the language and region? Also, were the cows at the train wreck bystanders, or passengers? That seems like an important contextual detail. Although I cant see the cows expressions being different either way lol

 

So if Atrac is on/off, where is it on scale or multi-terrain select - low, med, high? Lets call "sand mud" low brake input (lots of wheel spin). Rock is high brake / computer input.

Where does Atrac fit on that scale?

 

My native language is Flemish/Belgium and the other French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Zuid Afrikaans, English. Too many, you get mixed up easily. lol, bystanders. "They look at me like a cow at a train wreck" (Zij kijken naar mij gelijk een koe naar een trein). haha. lol

 

Where are you from originally?